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(NoMoael.) y F. A. SMITH, Jrv.'

f BUTTON FASTBNER.

No. 294,411. Patented Mar. 4, 1884'. 4

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FRANKLIN A. SMITH, J OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters f Patent No. 294,411, dated March4, 1884.

Application filed December 17, 1883. r(No model.) i

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. SMITH, Jr., a citizen of the .UnitedStates, and a resident of Providence. county of Providence, and State ofRhodev Island, have invented an Improvement in Button-Fasteners, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification,

like letters on the drawings representing like i 1o parts,

My invention belongs to that class of sheetmetal button-fasteners whichare adapted to 'hold buttons to shoes or other articles Awithout the aidof a setting-instrument. Button-fasteners of the class mentioned areusually so coustructed as to involve two bends in the metal blank toadapt it for use, or which necessitates one continuous bend in thetongue of theblank to form said tongue into a curvilinear or seg- 2omental loop or hook, so as to bring the end or point of the tongue orformed loop or hook adjacent to and opposite one side of the head bar orbase. Button-fasteners involving two bends intheir formation must beformed of com- 2 5 paratively thin, soft, and tender metal, and

are much weakened by the sharp bends therein, while fasteners which areformed by giving a continuous bend to the tongue of the blank to formthe curvilinear or'segmental loop or hook are difficult of manufacture,and

when so formed the end of the loop or hook is so disposed with relationvto the other parts of -the fastener that when it is endeavored to engagethe hook with the yeye of a shank-button it is found that thecurve orbulge of said loop or hook engages the material ofthe shoe or otherarticle before, the end or point of the loop or hook can enter theshank-eye, thereby rendering the engagement of the fastener 44o with abutton a diflicult matter.

- My invention. has for its object the formation of a button-fastener ofthe class designated V To thesel ends my invention consists of asheet-metal button-fastener having, essentially, abase and hook integraltherewith, with the hook bent upon itself, and with its free end-or thatportion below the curvature or bend opposite to and substantiallyparallel with one side of the base, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation, and shows my im 6o proved button-fastener,enlarged, as holding a button to a piece of leather or other article.Fig. 2 is a .plan of the blank from which my fastener is formed. Fig. 3is au end viewof my improved button-fastener. Fig. 4 is a rear 65 View,and Fig. 5 is a front View, thereof.

My fastener is formed from the sheet-metal blank shown inFig. 2, andconsists of abase,

a, and hook b.- The khook projects from the cut edge c of the base a,and is curved or 7o bent upon itself, as at d, with its free end or thatportion below the curvature or bend opposite to and substantiallyparallel with one Y side of the base c, as shown in the drawings. Bythis disposition of parts the hook -may be 75 readily engaged with theshank-eye of a button, and be' easily housed in the hole in the vleatheror .other article, so as to bring the shank-eye of said buttonsubstantially above and atthe outer surface of the leather. The 8O pointor extremity of the hook b is As0 disposed as to be substantially in thesame plane with or slightly below the bottomline ofthe base a, thepurpose of which is to prevent the free end of the hook b from beingpulled through 8 5 the hole in the leather and onto the outer surfacethereof when stra-in is applied to the button and the hole becomesenlarged by wear. The strain or pull on the button being substantiallyat right `angles to the base or some- 9o what inline with the leather orother material, the said strain causes the end of the hook b to pressagainst the under side of the mate# rial at one side of the holetherein, while the base presses against the material at'the oppo- 95 andwere the point of the hook not carried to or slightly below the bottomline of said base it Would soon be pulled out of the hole and onto theouter surface of the material upon the enlargementby wear of the hole insaid material.

Myiinproved hook is cheap and of easy inanufaeture, and involves but onesilnple bend, given thereto by the die or former. As stated, the hookcan be quickly and easily inserted into the eye of a shank-button.

Then it is desired to apply a button and fastener to a fabric or shoe,the shank of t-he button is pushed into a previously-made oriiiee in thefabric or leather of the shoe, so that said shank will project from theunderside of the material, when the point or extremity of the hook ispassed into the shanlceye until the bend of the hook engages the saidshank-eye. whereupon a pull is given to the button to cause the hook tobe drawn up into the oriiiee, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1.

l. A sheetmetal button-fastener consisting of the base and the hookintegral therewith,

the said hook projecting from the eut edge c of the base, and having thesemieircular bend d and straight free end below. the said bend d, thesaid straight free end being substantially parallel with the post of thehook below the said curve and with the base, the point or eX- treniityof the hook passing beyond the upper eut edge, c, of the base,substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The hereindescribed one-piece sheetmetal button-fastener, consisting,essentially, of the base a and hook b, the said hook projecting from theout edge c of the base and bent upon itself, with its free end oppositeto and substantially parallel with one side of the base a, and its pointor extremity slightly below 'the bottom line of said base a, all asshown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony Whereoi'l have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subseribing witnesses. FRANKLIN A. SMITH, JR.

lVitnesses:

GEO. W. PRENTICE, CHARLES GREENE.

